Mod The Sims - Retaining object animations using the Mesh Tool

JWoods

26th Aug 2005, 05:20 PM

Animation Retaining Mesh Tool Tutorials

After encountering a great many questions about how to "retain animations" in several objects I have put together some short "Mesh Tool (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=45457)" Text Tutorials.

These Tutorials are geared toward "experienced" object creators not begginers. I will only support questions aimed directly at the tutorials. I will not answer questions as to how to create your meshes or packages. If you are going to use these tutorials you should have a good knowledge of the above.

The tutorials use the same basic procedure explained by "Miche" some time ago on "How to Create and Armoire" some time ago. A special "Thank You" to "Miche" for allowing me to rewrite the original ".obj" portion of that tutorial and translate it to the other object tutorials I have included. These are the exact procedures I have used to create these objects and I will support the steps in the tutorials if need be.

I have supplied these tutorials in PDF format and embedded them with a bit of relaxing music for your pleasure... :) Upon opening "Adobe Reader (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html)".

Tutorials included:

Creating a "Chest of Drawers"
Creating a "Toilet"
Creating an "Armoire"
Creating a "Refrigerator"

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Tutorials:Retaining object animations using the Mesh Tool

Bad Whippet

26th Aug 2005, 06:25 PM

Thanks greatly for going to all this trouble, JWoods. Can't wait to try out the tutorials!

dsreds

28th Aug 2005, 10:32 PM

I am a Newbie I haven't tried anything yet :D I plan to read first..although It is making me quite dizzy :werd:

JWoods I pray for all of you in the Path of Katrina,,please stay safe and may God Bless...hope to see you back real soon and all is well with everyone :D

My prayers go out to all :werd:

Donna

AstonG

29th Aug 2005, 12:39 AM

wow tnx man...... just what i need :)!!!

JWoods

29th Aug 2005, 02:58 AM

dsreds: You may want to try here first to get the hang of things (you mentioned being new ;) ). http://forums.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?p=724028#post724028

Thanks for your kind words as to the current events (Hurricane)'.

Kitana2

29th Aug 2005, 05:04 PM

*sorry to be off topic*

I woke up this morning to the news on Katrina, I hope you and your loved ones are safe.
I pray ALL effected are safe, I also have loved ones (friends) in the same areas.

And thank you again for sharing your knowledge with us.

AstonG

29th Aug 2005, 09:30 PM

Hey i got a problem with Refrigerator....
i followed your tutorial and look what i got (Screenshot)

l****************l
l****i fixed that****l
l****************l

dsreds

29th Aug 2005, 10:43 PM

I have started there and downloaded the tuts..I am just trying to make sense of it all...lol and I hope to be brave enough to start and stick with it.

Thanks for all the information you have supplied here, I for one would not know how it would all get done without all the mods and creators here.

My hats off to all of you

jms

30th Aug 2005, 07:03 PM

jwoods your great thankyou so much for the new tutorial.

AstonG

30th Aug 2005, 08:24 PM

how can i make it recolor enable????

jms

1st Sep 2005, 11:41 PM

hello ok i have just found out that jwoods wont be around for some time because him and his family was living in new orleans at the time of the deverstating hurcane katrina. please don't ask for jwoods help as he won't be here . just be . all we can do is hope jwoods and his family is ok and he will be back soon. here is delphys thread. http://www.modthesims2.com/showthre...?threadid=87245

here is jwoods signature that may explain a bit more .

here is a copy of his sig

I may not be here at MTS2 for quite some time after today o8/29/05 as I live in the very Southeast of Louisiana in the very center of the path of Hurricane Katrina. Please be patient with my answering to threads in the next week to possiblely 3 weeks. Sorry for any in convenience... JWoods.

please do put jwoods in your prayers as i and a lot of other people from this website will be.

MadkidIan

3rd Sep 2005, 04:56 AM

Thats perfectly understandable, my heart goes out to him and his family and all the other people who have been affected by Katrina.

SOULCALIBUR

6th Sep 2005, 10:45 PM

I don't understand nothing! SIGH! I'm not english... Is really hard....

sob!

jms

7th Sep 2005, 11:48 PM

ok i have just seen an update that jwoods and hid family is fine this is what his signature reads.

Thanks all for your prayers and kind messages. My family and I are all alive. I am living in Texas for a while due to the massive distruction and loss of everything. It may be some time until I can be back here but I will be back when I rebuild my life. :) JWoods.

Samekh

14th Sep 2005, 04:05 PM

I think about him often throughout the day. He's helped so many people and I'm sure we're all thinking about JWoods and his family. I'm humbled by the fact that he's already started to offer his advice again so soon after the catastrophe.

That embedded music though! Relaxing? Haha, good one!

IgnorantBliss

3rd Oct 2005, 06:18 PM

When I recently made an armoire according to one of these tutorials, everything else worked as expected, but the armoire was lying on its back on the ground in the game. I solved the problem by rotating the mesh in Milkshape after UV-mapping (around the Origin, X 90 Y 0 Z 180 degrees). I don't know why it happened in the first place because I created the mesh to the same orientation as the new one, but at least simple rotating fixed it.

Mage

16th Oct 2005, 07:47 PM

Mage

16th Oct 2005, 07:54 PM

Here's my question. I've used this method on quite a few things now and it's always worked great. Thank you. But this morning I've been trying to make new kitchen counters for the first time. Since I only wanted to change the doors, I made an .obj file with two groups, one for each door. I replaced each sub-group, with the mesh tool, as described in the tutorials and left the rest alone. When I replaced the GMDC files in SimPE I noticed that the new mesh had fewer vertices than the original, which was odd because I had actually added a feature to the old doors. When I went to look at it in the game not surprisingly part of the counter was missing. I'm not sure what to try next.

bowbow15

22nd Oct 2005, 03:34 PM

when i clicked on the link to the toilet tut, a window came up that said "page cannot be displayed." is there something wrong with it?

cap0n3

25th Oct 2005, 04:20 AM

can some one show me how to do it :beer:

Serasims

1st Nov 2005, 02:39 PM

what am i making wrong??

http://www.serasims.de/fault.jpg

SnowStorm

1st Nov 2005, 03:08 PM

what am i making wrong??

I have had this if the vertices are not assigned to the correct joint, or not all vertices were assigned to a joint.

Serasims

1st Nov 2005, 04:07 PM

I have had this if the vertices are not assigned to the correct joint, or not all vertices were assigned to a joint.but they are :(

Dyamondgyrl77

6th Nov 2005, 08:18 AM

IgnorantBliss

6th Nov 2005, 08:22 AM

I need someone to have a tutorial on how to create a mesh from scratch. I have an idea of a bedroom set (dresser, nightstand and bed) that I would to create. There are objects that are similar to what I want but I am not sure how to create it. I have the tutorial by Grapholina (which is great) but her tutorial has the mesh of new armoire already created. I can follow the steps if I had my own mesh to work from.

Can someone help me ... please!!!

The object tutorial (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=59293) by JWoods teaches the basics of creating a simple mesh in Milkshape. There are also tutorials for Blender and Wings 3D around. To learn the basics of the mesh creation, you can also look for any tutorial online for the program you're using, it doesn't have to be a Sims specific one.

Dyamondgyrl77

6th Nov 2005, 09:59 AM

IgnorantBliss

6th Nov 2005, 10:07 AM

i have that tutorial also. i guess you need to be some sort of graphic desiner to understand the dynamics of the program. i am doing a trial-and-error with a dresser now. i will be back to tell you how it goes.

No, you don't need to be a graphics designer to use the program, it's just that most programs take some time and practice before you get good at them. Some say other 3D programs than Milkshape are easier to use. I have not used others so far. I only started using Milkshape for the first time in July, and with the tutorials here and elsewhere, and many hours spent with it I think I have a hang of most of it now.

If this is your first time making a new object, a dresser might not be the best one to start with. There are so many things to learn with Milkshape, SimPE and a uv-mapping program when you start making objects that the animation retaining aspects of making an armoire might be too much to handle. Maybe you should start out with that end table first?

Dyamondgyrl77

6th Nov 2005, 10:55 AM

IgnorantBliss

6th Nov 2005, 10:59 AM

wow you don't have much faith in me. I am using his tutorial along with the tutorial from Grapholina. Here tutorial was great!

Anyway, I am coming along great so far. I should be finished in shortly.

I did not mean to offend you. I just know from personal experience that the first time I was making an object, everything I had to learn was so overwhelming that coming up with a simple object like a dining table was certainly hard enough. I only warned you because I didn't want you try to start off with something difficult and then become frustrated and give up completely because you got overwhelmed. But, if you can handle it, that's fine. Did not mean to underestimate you, I've just been around the creation forums for a while and seen the problems people have when they first start off.

Dyamondgyrl77

6th Nov 2005, 11:22 AM

I was only joking. you didn't offend me in any way. I do appreciate the lookout. It is hard but I am determined not to quit. As a matter of fact on a scale of 1 to 10 I am giving this project about a 6. The examples from both JWoods and Grapholina are helping tremendously. I just finished the mesh so from here I am going to use Grapholina's Tutorial.

Have you been successful in making any new objects. I have had this game since last year but I just got a DVD-ROM a few weeks ago. I have been hooked every since.

IgnorantBliss

6th Nov 2005, 12:58 PM

Have you been successful in making any new objects.

Yeah, I have made some, including a couple of armoires, although not using Grapholina's tutorial, but JWoods' Start To Finish Object Tutorial and then the armoire one of his Mesh Tool tutorials. The Mesh Tool is not the only way of retaining the animation, though, as I have found out recently (you can also do it in Milkshape with wes-h's plugin, for example).

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 04:35 AM

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 04:41 AM

JWoods' Start to Finish Object Tutorial and Grapholina's Create an Armoire Tutorial helped me complete my "Designer Dresser". I completed it and it worked fine with one little problem. When my SIM goes to open the drawer all of the drawers open and not just the 3 drawer. I don't know what I did wrong.

I would include a the screenshot but I don't know how to do it. I never "chatted" on a forum before.

Sounds like you grouped all the drawers together for the animation. I haven't made dressers, only armoires, and I don't know exactly what the names are, but I'd guess there's the body of the dresser as one group for the animation, and the drawer as another. In that case, you'd have to group all the non-opening drawers together with the body. Which way did you do it, did you use the Mesh Tool or something else? I haven't been able to view Grapholina's tutorial because it's a file format I can't open.

JWoods

7th Nov 2005, 05:12 AM

Dyamondgyrl77: For a dresser you need to use my "Chest of Drawers" tutorial... ;)

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 06:14 AM

I did group all the drawers together. My groups were Dresser, Drawers and Feet. Something told me not to do that but now I don't know how to go back in a fix it.

JWoods I don't know what tutorial you are referencing.

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 07:02 AM

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 07:05 AM

oh. Duh!!!

Can you now tell me how to fix my dresser. It works fine with the exception that all drawers open when only one is suppose to open.

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 09:40 AM

oh. Duh!!!

Can you now tell me how to fix my dresser. It works fine with the exception that all drawers open when only one is suppose to open.

In Milkshape (if that's what you're using) you'll have to select the drawers that you don't want to move, and also select the body of the dresser, and regroup them together. You can also regroup the legs into the body of the dresser, and then you'll have the one moving drawer as one group, and the rest of the dresser as another.

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 10:06 AM

oh ok. that is where I went wrong.

Here is my grouping
Feet
TopDrawer
2ndDrawer
WorkingDrawer
BottomDrawer
Knobs
Dresser

Are you saying that I should group them all except the "WorkingDrawer"?

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 10:35 AM

oh ok. that is where I went wrong.

Here is my grouping
Feet
TopDrawer
2ndDrawer
WorkingDrawer
BottomDrawer
Knobs
Dresser

Are you saying that I should group them all except the "WorkingDrawer"?

You can have as many groups as you want to when you're building the mesh and uv-mapping it, but before you export it from Milkshape for SimPE and Mesh Tool, you should only have the groups that are mentioned in the tutorial, I don't remember their exact names, but basically, the moving drawer as its own group, and the rest of the dresser as a second group that will not be moving anywhere during the animation. To regroup, just select all the groups you want to merge together and use the Regroup option in Milkshape.

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 10:42 AM

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 10:52 AM

oh ok. I am doing that now then I am going to bed

Thanks again for your assistance.

By the way, would you happen to have a copy of HomeCrafter. I some wallpaper that I want to customize. The Sims2 site doesn't have it there

Get the Homecrafter from the main site by going to the Cool Stuff section and clicking on Homecrafter.

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 10:54 AM

That's what I am saying: it's not there. It's talking like it's there but when I click on any of the flags, I get nothing. I just sent Tech Support ticket to get the answer to this.

IgnorantBliss

7th Nov 2005, 11:38 AM

That's what I am saying: it's not there. It's talking like it's there but when I click on any of the flags, I get nothing. I just sent Tech Support ticket to get the answer to this.

Did you try clicking on the text link below the flags that says "Download The Sims 2 Homecrafter Plus"?

Dyamondgyrl77

7th Nov 2005, 01:17 PM

OH MY GOODNESS!!! I guess I was having a "blond" moment. DUH!!!

I didn't even notice those words. I have it now.
Sorry!

IgnorantBliss

10th Jan 2006, 09:38 AM

I have used the Mesh Tool (with Milkshape) on a couple of objects fairly recently to retain simple animations. I have tried the wes_h plugins, too, though, and I think I prefer them, when given the choice.

cjanefly764

7th Feb 2006, 09:36 PM

I HAVE A QUESTION

Can you mesh the swing set with animations? I don't know why I picked this particular item to mesh for my first time. I had a certain purpose for it in my game but trying this as a beginner was a mistake I can tell you. I got it animated one time but the seat went everwhere underneath the sim when I did. All other times were no animation, slowed the game to a crawl and eventually hung live mode up completely and the seat was unstable and would appear and disappear randomly but especially when I put another object near it. I was also trying to leave out the frame of the set which seemed to be not a problem. This has been done before so I wanted to make a thicker straighter seat and cylindrical ropes instead of chains with knots under the seat and color it with white rope and ash woodtone. My last finished product had just the look I wanted but with all of the above problems. Is it me or is this item just especially difficult to change?

simsistic

17th Feb 2006, 05:12 AM

heeeelllppp

im going nuts..yes even more then i already are lol

i made a refrigerator using wings,uv mapper and simpe. (all new versions) my problem is in simpe. i have a door,a knob and the frigde. i called those tree for "frigdemoderatestainless_contents_full" and i only changed the size of the content and materials. (i even tryed with out changing them) but in game,its not showing at all,or the frigde its self dont show,just the inside. what do i call what? how do i make is show in the game?

anita :)

IgnorantBliss

17th Feb 2006, 06:08 AM

simsistic, sounds like there might be something wrong with the mesh names, that's the most common reason for invisible meshes. Try posting your object in the Object Creation Workshop and Repair Center sticky thread in the Object Creation & Texturing forum, with an explanation of your problem, and someone will take a look at it :).

blackice31_582

7th Mar 2006, 10:32 AM

Thanks 4 all the work u put into these I haven't done anything yet and I'm about 2 give it a go! I come in here MTS2 & Sapphiresims2 and see all the great stuff and it Frustrates me so here I go..........

taoyingying

8th Apr 2006, 12:03 AM

Nice tutorial! Short but precise. Thank you for writing it! :nod:

I would like to know if I want to make a bed and retain its animations, how many subgroups should I have when exporting obj file? I guess it should have at least two subgroups, pillow and bedding, but not quite sure if I'm right. Besides, what's the corresponding sub group # for these parts? Thanks in advance!

IgnorantBliss

8th Apr 2006, 06:57 AM

With beds, you can only edit the frame mesh, not the bedding. The bedding will lose its animations if you replace it. So, only import a new frame mesh into your package, and keep he original bedding mesh. The bedding uses a "blend" kind of an animation which is more complicated than closet doors and such.

taoyingying

8th Apr 2006, 07:53 AM

Thank you for helping! How about pillow then? Can I export and mod them?
Besides, does that mean I do not need Meshtool for making beds, just export and import bedframs into SimPE, and all animations will be correct?

IgnorantBliss

8th Apr 2006, 08:01 AM

The pillows are a part of the bedding mesh, so, unfortunately, they can't be edited, either.

Correct, you can edit the bed frame like any other non-animated object, such as a table, and import it back in without the Mesh Tool or any other tricks :). You can export the bedding mesh if you need its shape and size for reference when building your frame, but make sure not to import it back.

taoyingying

8th Apr 2006, 08:44 AM

Thank you so much! Wow never know that meshing a new bed could be THAT simple. I was wondering why there is no tutorial about making beds and now I know the answer. hehe~ Will try it out. And thanks again for helping!

Mage

8th Apr 2006, 11:08 AM

He he I remember when it was more complicated.

xrax

14th Apr 2006, 11:58 AM

Gee I think I know the answer to that. I believe that while SimPE now exports in xzy orientation the mesh tool only imports and exports in xyz.

This is correct! I found out the hard way, but figured it out in 5 minutes. Whenever you export a mesh from SimPE that you plan on passing through Meshtool, I recommend that you change the export settings from XZY to XYZ...this way your mesh shouldn't come out lopsided in the game.

You can change the settings near the blue preview window in the GMDC file in SimPE.

simssy

30th May 2006, 11:57 AM

I have a concern with the tutorial "creating a chest of drawers" , I to create my object with milkshape I export it in .obj then I use UVMapper and then when I go on Meshtool I click on load mesh I thus open my file .obj which I have make with UVMapper then I make load GMDC and I open the file which names .simpe then edit group and I click on asiana then on armoirecentral and when I click on GMDC view and that put this message to me error of execution 9, index apart from the page, know why?

IgnorantBliss

30th May 2006, 01:51 PM

When you load the GMDC, you will have to import the file with the .5gd extension, not the .simpe one. You probably have to change the file type for the .5gd one to appear on the list, for some reason by default only the .simpe files are shown.

simssy

30th May 2006, 03:25 PM

I excuse myself but I do not find how to export the 5gd. is what it is second Geometric data container?

simssy

30th May 2006, 04:05 PM

I have will extrai a file from simpe in the menu default completely has right which appele AC4F8687-AC4F8687-FF922DC5-1C050000-FFE6C2B0.5gd but it opens with Internet to explore and thus I cannot import it with the mesh tool, I patauge! I hope that you will be able to help me

IgnorantBliss

30th May 2006, 05:22 PM

You will have to change the "files of type" to .5gd when you import the GMDC to the Mesh Tool. It will show up as an option then. See the screenshot attached.

simssy

30th May 2006, 06:44 PM

from agreement I will test, thank you very much for the image that helps well because the translator does not translate always just like he is necessary then it is necessary to decipher! ;)

simssy

30th May 2006, 07:20 PM

I do not understand I have always this message, aprés to have to create my cupboard with milkshape I export my obj file then I utilse UVMapper and C ' is well at this time that it is necessary to modify with meshtool this file in obj. in order to have this file in 5gd. I have to test full with different things but nothing has to make I always have this message I am completely blocked has this place and yet I am on it is very stupid :rolleyes: but I do not arrive there, it N ' does not have there small a tutorial which explains how to make because I suspect that it would take too a long time to explain but I need assistance :( THANK YOU! :lovestruc

IgnorantBliss

30th May 2006, 07:26 PM

Do you get the error message in Mesh Tool? Can you write the whole error message here, or maybe take a screenshot and post it as an attachment?

atomic_hamsters

30th May 2006, 07:58 PM

The mesh tool is acting strange for me too...

I've made 5 or 6 armoires and they all worked perfectly, except with this new one im working on, I load the GMDC and the .obj into mesh tool, but then as soon as i check 'GMDC View' i get a 'Runtime Error 9 - Subscript out of range' error message. :blink:

EDIT: Almost what simssy posted below :|

simssy

30th May 2006, 08:57 PM

Then veiled what I do bus can be that I make a bad handling 1 : after to have to create my object with milkshape then to have it UVMapper I modify it with Meshtool to extract the file 5gd.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/son03/image1.jpg

2 :j' imports my obj file
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/son03/image2.jpg

3:I import my file in 5gd. of all has the hour
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/son03/image3.jpg

4 : I click on edit group then on cupboard in Windows and cupboard in models and when I click on GMDC view the message appears and all is closed
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/son03/image4.jpg

I have to try to click initially on GMDC view and I did not have messages but when I clicked on cupboard in Windows, the message appeared!

simssy

1st Jun 2006, 08:26 AM

I still do not arrive there no matter what I make this message appears! know why? thank you

IgnorantBliss

1st Jun 2006, 04:49 PM

I have no idea what's causing the error message :(. You could try posting your problem in the Mesh Tool thread (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=45457), in case miche or someone else would know.

simssy

1st Jun 2006, 09:07 PM

ok, I thank you nevertheless!

bbnatch

6th Jun 2006, 07:40 AM

I have to say a trillion and zillion of thanks you! :)

Mogartin

17th Jun 2006, 02:12 AM

I've been making and building objects in gmax (3DSMax) for a long time now, and normally sent it to someone else to cover the boning of the items to be placed in games, Now that I have a new need to learn for SIMS 2, I am currious how to add bones while in G-Max, Or else I will have to export to your tool, either way, as long as the job is done, it will make me estatic.. (3D art is not an easy thing to produce, and takes hours to produce something of quallity...) When exporting from gmax, what file extention do I need to import it into SimPE?

delphine

20th Jul 2006, 08:01 PM

I tried to put animation on a dishwasher but in mesh tool I have 4 subgroups, which groups do I have to use?

IgnorantBliss

20th Jul 2006, 08:04 PM

Which dishwasher did you clone, the cheap or the expensive one?

delphine

20th Jul 2006, 08:47 PM

Which dishwasher did you clone, the cheap or the expensive one?
the expensive one

IgnorantBliss

20th Jul 2006, 08:58 PM

There seem to be 4 joints with vertices assigned to them. Number 1 is the body of the washer, the parts that don't move. Number 2 is the door. Number 3 is the rack. I'm not sure what number 4 is for exactly, you could just leave it as it is and not replace it.

So, the body will be sub group 1, the door sub group 2 and the rack sub group 3.

cwin1024

14th Nov 2006, 02:05 AM

I just tried to make a refrigerator using this tutorial, and I encounter a problem as soon as I try to load the .obj file. When I click on "load mesh" and I click my .obj file, a message come up that says "finished reading obj file. number of models: 3" and then I click "OK" and the whole mesh tool closes. is this normal? and am I just supposed to reopen it to do the next step? I'm confused, sorry.

cwin1024

14th Nov 2006, 10:20 PM

actually, I was able to do this refrigerator tutorial, but only one time. I followed the instructions almost exactly, except the only difference was that I didn't uvmap, cuz I did the texture in milkshape, since I still haven't figured out how to get the colors to go where I want them using uvmapper. But anyway, when I was done with the tutorial, I imported the file back into simpe, but it was the original fridge, not the one I made. So I was going to go ahead and start over, but it gave me the error, and closed as soon as I tried to import my mesh.

IgnorantBliss

15th Nov 2006, 02:01 PM

I don't know what causes the problem with the Mesh Tool, but I would try starting out with a new clone and see if it works then

simspoon

18th Dec 2006, 11:37 PM

first of all i would like to say hello to all the sims fans also i am new to this, i have always wanted to create my own stuff but never been able to find a site that i could get the programs to make my own things, i cant beleive my luck thanks to use i now have all the programs to start creating and all the help i need in understanding how all the tools work. I am sure once i have masted all the programs and tools it wont be long until i create all the things i want. Also once i have i promise i will but all my creations on this site for all the sims members to use and as a specual thanks i also promise any creation i make will only be put on this site and no other. So watch this space :report:

nazariopilar

26th Jun 2007, 08:47 AM

I have followed the steps of the tutorial but the doors of the closet don't open up and not you that I happen will be mistaken

some idea ?

I have proven in the mesh tool with the lying closet and also right
also to care him regrouped and without regrouping

IgnorantBliss

26th Jun 2007, 09:13 AM

nazariopilar, try posting your package with an explanation in the Object Repair Center so that someone could take a look :).

nazariopilar

26th Jun 2007, 09:26 AM

thank you, it is that it ties me

blake_boy

29th Jun 2007, 08:13 AM

I have one question, does this tutorial apply to gates as well? Nicely done tute by the way :up:

IgnorantBliss

29th Jun 2007, 09:52 AM

Yes, it should work the same way with gates, also.

blake_boy

29th Jun 2007, 11:14 AM

Thanks Ignorant bliss, you are a super bunny moderator. :)

nazariopilar

4th Jul 2007, 02:21 PM

$RaMRoM$

11th Jul 2007, 01:48 PM

if I want to make a dresser with drawers, will I have to clone a maxis dresser with drawers and which the movements would be in the mestool?

1 for the wood and 2 for the drawer?

is it also necessary to apply the mestool to the table cambiadora of you drink them?

yes, you should make a part that is for the drawer and a part for the normal body, then just link the animations back :)

nazariopilar

14th Jul 2007, 09:17 PM

Thank you

TimSimser

5th Sep 2007, 08:14 PM

I tried to retain the animations of a gate with the mesh tool but I got an error:
"Run-time error "9"
Subscript out of range"

I got this error when I click on the fencepicketgate in the box objects, so has anyone an idee how to fix this?

lym

8th Sep 2007, 05:41 PM

Could someone do a tutorial for animating the rail on a crib? I've been trying for a few days to do this with no luck, I've tried asking on a few different forums and no one has been able to help so far :( I've never done animation for meshes before so this is all new to me.

I tried to retain the animations of a gate with the mesh tool but I got an error:
"Run-time error "9"
Subscript out of range"

I got this error when I click on the fencepicketgate in the box objects, so has anyone an idee how to fix this?

I'm also having the same problem with the Mesh Tool. It happens as I click GMDC View.

Numenor

8th Sep 2007, 07:15 PM

lym

8th Sep 2007, 08:56 PM

Lym, the crib rail is NOT a mesh animated via joints: it's animated using "morphs" (like the cushions of the sofas, just to make ean example; modifying morphing meshes requires Milkshape and the Unimesh plugin by wes_h.
The Meshtool can only be used with meshes using joints.

Thanks! I was told to come here from another forum, I've spent the last two days trying to get this work since no one will reply to my messages of help. If someone can tell me how to do it would be great! I put a topic up here (http://www.modthesims2.com/showthread.php?t=247833) two days ago if anyone is willing to help me, I can't seem to get a answer about this from anywhere.

TimSimser

2nd Nov 2007, 08:29 PM

does this work for microwaves, dishwashers, and stoves to?
And how many groups do I have to create for each one?

tiggerypum

3rd Nov 2007, 08:45 PM

TimSimser
You do not 'create' new groups. Meshtool works by exporting the groups that already exist in the object, and then you must replace exactly those same groups - at least last time I checked. My experience with meshtool is working with bodies, but I assume it must hold for objects also.

lym
You can find Unimesh over here:
http://www.modthesims2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=34
in the tools area

It only works with Milkshape.

It was designed to be multi-use, but the biggest *need* was for body meshers, so it's tucked over there. It has a basic manual. There are also basic BODY oriented tutorials for it over in the tutorials area, with step by step pictures. Some of the stuff will not apply to your objects, but some will, so you might to look over the 3 Unimesh tutorials to see stuff about the bone assignments and building a morph.

In short, you should build your base object, and then when it's perfect, you duplicate it and then *move* the vertices (no adding or deleting) to create the morph.

You can ALSO work with morphs using SMD import/export from simpe.

TimSimser

3rd Nov 2007, 10:05 PM

but does this retaining object animations work for microwaves, dishwashers, and stoves to?

wndy26

17th Jan 2008, 03:38 AM

These tutorials worked well! I was able to get my refrigerator doors to open. What I didn't know for sure about was the actual mesh itself. On the tutorial it wants you to create your right door, left door and main refrigerator keeping each of these parts in your obj file using those same names. I managed to get all of that done but then I wondered how I was supposed to import my mesh - do I keep all the names the same or combine the separate groups into one fridgefront group? I opted to try combining the groups into one fridgefront group and it worked great. I hope this helps someone else once they get past the mesh tool part.

Herzblut

25th Jul 2008, 10:58 AM

hi thank you for these tutorials
i have one question. how do i change the mesh of the guitar and still keep the animation?
i've tried to change it but it has the new shape only in the preview picture in the game... and is not usable anymore. can somebody please help me? thank you

edit: i've just found atavera's tutorial... maybe that helps